Don't own a Tonal?

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⏱️ Read time: 2 minutes

First off, congratulations are in order...

If you've maxed out hip thrusts on your Tonal, that means you've been putting in serious work.

Your glutes have officially outgrown the machine. 📲 🍑

And relax, I'm not about to prescribe max-effort Bulgarian split squats. I want you to open next week's email, not block me.

(Although Bulgarian's are my fav lower body exercise on Tonal. 🤪)

But before I hand you the advanced stuff, a quick reality check.

After coaching 721+ Tonal clients in the last 4 years alone, I can tell you most people who've "maxed out" hip thrusts on Tonal are ego lifting.

No control over the weight (especially the eccentric), sloppy form, or both. And both of those increase your risk of injury.

So before you touch any of these techniques, make sure you're using quality technique and actually controlling the weight.

That doesn't mean grinding out reps in super slow motion like it's 2004 and Juvenile just started blasting at the campus dive bar.

(If you know, you know. College was fun.)

Going too slow can actually be detrimental. You just need enough control to own the weight: roughly 2 seconds on the way down, 1 second on the way up.

One more thing before the list.

Tonal 1 maxes out at 200 lbs. Tonal 2 maxes out at 250.

So if you don't want to spend the extra cash on a Tonal 2, or you're just such a beast you maxed out the Tonal 2 anyway, these techniques are for you.

Because weight is one way to make a set harder. It's not the only way.

Range of motion, tempo, pauses, band tension, and reps all drive muscle growth too, and most Tonal users never touch them.

So this week, I filmed a short video showing you 6 ways to increase hip thrust intensity without adding a single pound:

1. Use a taller aftermarket bench for more range of motion
2. Add a mini band around your knees for constant glute tension
3. Take 3 to 4 seconds on the eccentric portion of each rep
4. Pause 1 to 2 seconds at the bottom while keeping tension on the bar
5. Pause 2 to 3 seconds at the top for a stronger contraction
6. Add more reps when load is no longer the limiting factor

And yes, rep ranges as high as 20–25 reps per set can still build muscle when sets are performed close to failure (Morton et al., 2016).

​

Gear mentioned in the video:

• Hip Thrust Pad: Get this Iron Bull pad. Your pelvis will thank you.
• Aftermarket bench: Titan Adjustable Bench​
  • Here's a full breakdown of the 3 options I recommend. I have zero affiliation with any of these companies.
• Mini bands: These cloth bands are my fav.

Try one or two of these on your next lower body day and let me if you think you still can't make gains with your glutes.

You're welcome in advance.

Remember, action is the difference between dreaming and succeeding.

See you next week.

Time for action,
​Coach Jackson

Founding Tonal Coach
Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author
San Francisco Magazine's “Best Trainer For Abs”

P.S. Ready to stop spinning your wheels and get more from your $5K Tonal investment? Apply for my my Tonal Coaching Program here.

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Research:

1. Morton RW, Oikawa SY, Wavell CG, Mazara N, McGlory C, Quadrilatero J, Baechler BL, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Neither load nor systemic hormones determine resistance training-mediated hypertrophy or strength gains in resistance-trained young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2016 Jul 1;121(1):129-38. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016. Epub 2016 May 12. PMID: 27174923; PMCID: PMC4967245.